If you’re cynical we can’t blame you; the fast paced dating scene we live in is enough to push anyone towards resigning themselves to singledom forever, if you’re not prepared for the journey ahead.

However if you’re serious about dating, then opting for a dating website might be the option for even the most cynical of minds. While you may still have to take a few leaps outside your comfort zone, you have much more control over how you’re perceived and who you interact with, making it a far less stressful dating environment.

If you’re still not convinced, allow us to enlighten you.

CYNIC THEORY 1: “Nobody on dating websites is looking for love”

After a few not-completely-wonderful experiences, it’s easy to think that no one else is into serious dating and they’re just looking for casual hookups. It’s true that dating websites can be good for people looking for one-off fun, but there are just as many people looking for love. You only have to see our success stories to see that it really works. Be clear about your intentions in your profile to make sure you connect with like-minded people.

CYNIC THEORY 2: “First dates are awkward”

In truth, they can be. Meeting a person you’ve never met in real life will often induce nerves, particularly if you’re fairly new to the scene. However that’s not to say that person has to be a stranger. With dating websites, you can get to know a bit about a person before even committing to chatting with them. Share your likes and dislikes, similarities and differences and that means you can go to your first date armed with some go-to questions to keep the conversation flowing. Try some first date ice-breakers to try and set the mood of your date, but if you’re really not sure if the conversation will last, avoid dinner and plan coffee or a drink for your first date. Not only does that mean a quick exit if it’s not going well, but a low commitment date will ease your nerves.

CYNIC THEORY 3: “I don’t have time for dating websites”

Dating websites can be a little more work than setting up a dating app when you start off, but all of the extra time perfecting your profile will ultimately save you time further down the line. Adding more detail about yourself, and spending a bit more time reading other people’s profiles, will increase your chances of finding someone that’s perfectly suited to you, and our guide to writing the best online dating profile will steer you in the right direction. Just think of all that time you’ll save by not going on countless first dates with people you could have ruled out if you’d already known they weren’t a dog person.

CYNIC THEORY 4: “I’d rather meet someone in real life”

In an ideal world, everyone would have their rom-com moment of running into a beautiful stranger, spilling their coffee and having the fortuitous meeting-of-eyes start of the romance. Unfortunately in the real world that would likely only end with an angry stranger and a dry cleaning bill, so sometimes we have to take our love life into our own hands. Chances are if you’ve been single for a while then opportunities with friends of friends, or co-workers have passed, so opening up yourself to a new pool of singletons looking for love is the best way to find yourself a date. Getting back into the dating scene through dating websites can also give you the confidence of a dating pro, which means being better at approaching prospective dates in the real world too.